"Spruce" Poem Analysis - Grade 5 Common Core Assessment

What is the central theme (main message) of the poem "Spruce"? (RL.5.2)

• The importance of practicing music daily
• The beauty of family musical traditions
• The process of making wooden instruments
• The history of spruce trees

How does the poet's choice to repeat the word "brown" throughout the poem affect its meaning? (RL.5.5)

• It makes the poem confusing
• It creates a feeling of boredom
• It emphasizes the connection between music and wood
• It shows the poem is about colors

What figurative meaning is suggested when the poem describes the melody as "honey-colored"? (L.5.5)

• The music tastes sweet
• The music is sticky
• The music is warm and rich
• The music is yellow

How does the poem's structure build from beginning to end? (RL.5.5)

• It moves from describing wood to describing a family making music together
• It moves from loud sounds to quiet sounds
• It changes from happy to sad
• It shifts from past to present

Which pair of words in the poem creates a metaphorical connection between sound and movement? (L.5.5)

• Precise and fingertips
• Drifts and melody
• Spruce and brown
• Violin and guitar